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“So what’s his status now?” Landry asked, sipping at a water.
“Well, he’s being punished for disorderly behavior and is facing impeachment,” I told them. “But honestly, it’s very doubtful there will be enough votes to get him out.”
“But he’s a criminal!” Madison said, eyes flashing.
“Telling someone you want to kill them isn’t the same as actually doing it,” I said.
Arsen’s body stiffened.
“But he assaulted and kidnapped you,” Lars said.
“Technically, his henchmen kidnapped me,” I muttered. “He’s denying he told them to do it.”
“Fucking politicians,” Rush spat. Then to Arsen, “No offense.”
“None taken,” Arsen said.
“Honestly, he’ll probably get away with all of it,” I surmised. It was something I didn’t like but had come to accept. Perhaps it was easier for me to do because I’d learned to live with my parents’ behavior from a very early age.
I still had wounds that I would carry forever. Insecurity and trauma that, frankly, formed some of my personality that would likely never go away.
Knowing my father had planned to kill me was something that still haunted me, and I’d had more than one nightmare about drowning in the campus pool. I refused to let that steal my love of swimming. I refused to give him that power. It was hard, though, and without Arsen and Kruger, I’d probably be struggling more than I was.
“It so unfair,” Rory lamented, gray eyes sad.
“He might manage to hang on to his seat for the rest of his term,” Arsen said, “but in the court of public opinion, he’s ruined.”
Shortly after McClaren was arrested, an “anonymous” source released documentation and evidence revealing the man he hid behind his public persona.
Yeah, that meant it came out that he had a son and that son was me. It wasn’t ideal because the press was relentless even though I’d refused to comment. I didn’t need to comment. The story that broke said it all, and I didn’t need to say it twice.
This wasn’t about me anyway. It was about keeping him from getting re-elected and taking away any motive he would have to come at me again. After all, killing me now that everyone knew who I was would put a giant guilty sign on his ugly forehead.
That’s right. I said ugly.
And yeah, the anonymous source was Arsen’s dad. It was undeniable that all this dirt on his rival would help him politically, but he’d only done it because it would help me. He even asked me first.
Well, he asked Arsen, and Arsen asked me.
“He can’t hurt me anymore,” I said, the raw words making everyone go quiet. “All this time, I thought I was protecting myself by keeping my past a secret. I didn’t want people to know how unwanted I was. How damaged. I thought everyone would reject me if they knew my own parents did too. And for a long time, keeping quiet did make me feel safer. But now I see it was also making things worse. The longer I hid, the more ashamed I felt. The more unworthy I felt of friendship. But now it’s all out. Everyone knows. It took away his power, power I didn’t realize he still held over me.”
“I’m proud of you, P. Stuck it to that old geezer just like he deserved,” Kruger said.
Arsen draped his arm across my shoulders and pressed a kiss against my temple.
“I know this might be controversial,” Lars said, drawing everyone’s attention, “but maybe it’s a blessing he didn’t want you.”
When everyone just stared, Lars seemed to wilt, and Win put his hand over the back of his neck. “Go on, angel. Keep talking.”
“Well, I mean, he was terrible, right? Abusive and mean. It was sort of a blessing he sent you away. I know it hurt and left you with scars, but it was better than having to endure it for your entire life.”
“I got away,” I said to Lars. “Just like you.”
His gaze dropped to his plate, and he nodded imperceptibly. We were both survivors that way. Maybe from different situations but both managing to get away from abuse.
That thought had me looking over at Max. His dark eyes met mine, and I found the same recognition there.
All this time, I’d felt utterly alone, but I never really was.
